diff --git a/top/top.c b/top/top.c
index d656314a..c7cf434d 100644
--- a/top/top.c
+++ b/top/top.c
@@ -1854,6 +1854,9 @@ end_justifies:
    // for calibrate_fields and summary_show 1st pass
 #define L_DEFAULT  PROC_FILLSTAT
 
+#define UNSAFE_SORTINDX(indx, size) \
+   ((indx) < 0 || (size_t)(indx) >= (size))
+
         /* These are our gosh darn 'Fields' !
            They MUST be kept in sync with pflags !! */
 static FLD_t Fieldstab[] = {
@@ -2042,6 +2045,8 @@ static void build_headers (void) {
 
    do {
       if (VIZISw(w)) {
+         if (UNSAFE_SORTINDX(w->rc.sortindx, sizeof(Fieldstab) / sizeof(Fieldstab[0])))
+            w->rc.sortindx = EU_PID;
          memset((s = w->columnhdr), 0, sizeof(w->columnhdr));
          if (Rc.mode_altscr) s = scat(s, fmtmk("%d", w->winnum));
          for (i = 0; i < w->maxpflgs; i++) {
@@ -2314,7 +2319,8 @@ static void fields_utility (void) {
 #endif
  #define swapEM  { char c; unSCRL; c = w->rc.fieldscur[i]; \
        w->rc.fieldscur[i] = *p; *p = c; p = &w->rc.fieldscur[i]; }
- #define spewFI  { char *t; f = w->rc.sortindx; t = strchr(w->rc.fieldscur, f + FLD_OFFSET); \
+ #define spewFI  { char *t; if (UNSAFE_SORTINDX(w->rc.sortindx, EU_MAXPFLGS)) w->rc.sortindx = EU_PID; \
+       f = w->rc.sortindx; t = strchr(w->rc.fieldscur, f + FLD_OFFSET); \
        if (!t) t = strchr(w->rc.fieldscur, (f + FLD_OFFSET) | 0x80); \
        i = (t) ? (int)(t - w->rc.fieldscur) : 0; }
    WIN_t *w = Curwin;             // avoid gcc bloat with a local copy
@@ -3669,6 +3675,8 @@ static int config_cvt (WIN_t *q) {
    strcpy(q->rc.fieldscur, fields_dst);
 
    // lastly, we must adjust the old sort field enum...
+   if (UNSAFE_SORTINDX(q->rc.sortindx, sizeof(fields_src) / sizeof(fields_src[0])))
+      return 1;
    x = q->rc.sortindx;
    q->rc.sortindx = fields_src[x] - FLD_OFFSET;
 
@@ -3718,6 +3726,8 @@ error Hey, fix the above fscanf 'PFLAGSSIZ' dependency !
       if (3 > fscanf(fp, "\twinflags=%d, sortindx=%d, maxtasks=%d, graph_cpus=%d, graph_mems=%d\n"
          , &w->rc.winflags, &w->rc.sortindx, &w->rc.maxtasks, &w->rc.graph_cpus, &w->rc.graph_mems))
             return p;
+      if (UNSAFE_SORTINDX(w->rc.sortindx, sizeof(Fieldstab) / sizeof(Fieldstab[0])))
+         return p;
       if (4 != fscanf(fp, "\tsummclr=%d, msgsclr=%d, headclr=%d, taskclr=%d\n"
          , &w->rc.summclr, &w->rc.msgsclr
          , &w->rc.headclr, &w->rc.taskclr))
@@ -5924,6 +5934,8 @@ static int window_show (WIN_t *q, int wmax) {
       else Frame_srtflg = -1;
       Frame_ctimes = CHKw(q, Show_CTIMES);          // this & next, only maybe
       Frame_cmdlin = CHKw(q, Show_CMDLIN);
+      if (UNSAFE_SORTINDX(q->rc.sortindx, sizeof(Fieldstab) / sizeof(Fieldstab[0])))
+         q->rc.sortindx = EU_PID;
       qsort(q->ppt, Frame_maxtask, sizeof(proc_t*), Fieldstab[q->rc.sortindx].sort);
    }